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Software Engineering Resources

Analysis ModelingThe written word is a wonderful vehicle for communication, but it isn't necessarily the best way to represent the requirements for computer software. Analysis modeling uses a combination of text and diagrammatic forms to depict requirements for data, function, and behavior in a way that is relatively easy to understand, and more important, straightforward to review for correctness, completeness and consistency. This section presents resources for conventional and object-oriented analysis (OOA) methods as well as resources for UML.

Analysis modeling is an extremely robust subject. This set of resources has been organized into the following topic areas:

Requirements Analysis Tutorial and GuidelinesMark Ridley has developed an in-depth tutorial (with slides) that discusses the requirements analysis process with special emphasis on third party developed systems in an IT environment. Recommended.

Physical Data Models (PDMs)"Physical data modeling is conceptually similar to design class modeling, the goal being to design the internal schema of a database, depicting the data tables, the data columns of those tables, and the relationships between the tables."

Object-Oriented Modeling: A Roadmap"This paper presents a list of requirements for an ideal object-oriented modeling language and compares it with the achievements of UML and other object-oriented modeling approaches."

Data Modeling Patternspresents typical data model patterns that are encountered in many different businesses. Behavior Models: Specifying Users Expectations presents a detailed treatment of behavioral modeling.
Use cases can serve as the foundation for all requirements modeling approaches. The following books provide worthwhile guidance in the creation and use of this important requirements elicitation and representation mechanism: